But
if these were the chosen candidates which the party hierarchy
wanted to see fast-tracked into Parliament, how successful was the
exercise and what has happened to those who have not yet been selected?

Three years on, ConservativeHome decided to find out.

Of those 100 names on the original priority list (one listed as
being there, Timothy Coleridge, says that he was never on it, but merely given dispensation to apply for one notionally safe seat with which he had local links), our
analysis has found that almost half – 45 – have been selected – but
that more than a quarter have stopped looking for a seat for the
general election which will take place in the next twelve months.

Here is a summary of our findings:

45 have been selected for parliamentary seats

18 are standing in Conservative held seats (as defined by
the notional figures prepared by Professors Rallings and Thrasher of
the University of Plymouth, which take account of the boundary changes
coming into force at the next election), i.e. those where a sitting
Conservative MP is standing down, where a new seat has been created by
the Boundary Commission or where boundary changes have changed the
political complexion of an existing seat

27 are standing in target seats

27 are still seeking a seat

27 are not currently seeking a seat for the next general election

4 are either sitting MEPs seeking re-election or candidates hoping
to be elected to the European Parliament in June

3 have have been
appointed to Boris Johnson's administration in London

1 has
defected to Labour

1 has defected to the Lib Dems

1 has been given a peerage

17 have chosen for a variety of personal and business reasons not
to pursue a parliamentary career at this juncture

The intentions of 1 are unknown; please email me if you have information about Richard Evans

Today,in this separate thread, we identify those who are no longer seeking a
seat and over the coming days we will list
those who fall into the other categories.

In due course we will publish a piece considering the experiences of those initial
A-Listers, for which I am still keen to talk to those on the list to
whom I have not yet spoken. If that includes you, please get in touch by email.